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beside a blade of young grass He stood, listened, and gazed

soround, so all alert, sometimes at the sea of bare tree tops that

stretched on the slope below hi sky,

covered hite streaks of cloud

A hawk flew high over a forest far aith sloeep of its

wings; another fleith exactly the same motion in the same

direction and vanished The birds twittered more and more loudly

and busily in the thicket An owl hooted not far off, and Laska,

starting, stepped cautiously a few steps forward, and putting her

head on one side, began to listen intently Beyond the stream

was heard the cuckoo Twice she uttered her usual cuckoo call,

and then gave a hoarse, hurried call and broke down

"I

out from behind a bush

"Yes, I hear it," answered Levin, reluctantly breaking the

stillness with his voice, which sounded disagreeable to hiain went behind the bush, and

Levin saw nothing but the bright flash of a arette

"Tchk! tchk!" caun